SPOTLIGHT ON A MURDERER

Georges Franju,
France,
1961, Arrow Films

The little-known third feature by the great French maverick Georges Franju (EYES WITHOUT A FACE, JUDEX) is a delightfully playful romp through Agatha Christie territory, whose script (written by Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac of DIABOLIQUE and VERTIGO fame) is mischievously aware of the hoariest old murder-mystery clichés and gleefully exploits as many of them as possible.

When the terminally ill Count Hervé de Kerloquen vanishes without a trace, his heirs are told they have to wait five years before he can be declared legally dead -- forcing them to devise ways of paying for the the vast family château’s upkeep in the meantime. While they set about transforming the place into an elaborate tourist attraction, they are beset by a series of tragic accidents...if that’s really what they are...